here - 7th Street Theatre

THE VIDETTE
MAY 31, 2012
PAGE A-3
First to see ‘The Last Ride’
Film makes its state
debut on the Harbor
By Marisa Salzer
The Vidette
J
ust what happened to Hank Williams Sr.
in the three final days of his life leading
to his untimely death at the age of 29? For
the first time, Harborites will have the chance
to see the story that has never been told
before, when the film, “The Last Ride,” premiers for the Harbor and the state of Washington — in Hoquiam.
What’s special about this movie is that it
isn’t showing in a typical venue — across the
nation, exclusive screenings are being offered
at historical theaters, and Hoquiam’s 7th
Street Theatre was contacted through its
membership in the League of Historic American Theatres. Filmmakers partnered with Lou
Reda Productions and a number of historic
theaters across the nation “to make a small
contribution to the restoration of beloved historic theaters,” the official website of the film
stated. It is set to premier nationally June 22,
in New York City and Los Angeles.
Because the theater was contacted at the
beginning of May, members of the staff have
scrambled to organize the premier to find a
sponsor. With just two weekends available in
June for the showing, and country music
radio station Bigfoot 93.7 partnering in sponsorship, organizers understood “that a (story
about a) country singer of Hank Williams’
caliber would be a great draw in this community,” Mickey Thurman, vice-president of the
board and chairperson of the movie committee said.
The story
The movie focuses on the final days of
Hank Williams’ life as he was trying to put
his life back in order after drugs, alcohol, two
failed marriages and a hair-trigger temper that
had nearly ruined his legendary career, the
synopsis of the film stated. In late 1952, he
had arranged several New Year’s shows in
West Virginia and Ohio, but he never got
there. Somewhere on that last highway, the
country music legend passed away on New
Year’s Day, in 1953, in the back of his powder
blue Cadillac, carrying only his guitar and a
notebook full of unfinished songs.
Howie Klausner and Dub Cornett wrote the
screenplay. Klausner credits Cornett with the
story’s concept, he said in a phone interview
Tuesday night, May 29. In 2006, he began
writing the story, which was “very ambitious,
but it flowed right out of me, and was easy to
write,” the writer said. However, he soon
found himself having a hard time selling it to
a studio. And when venting his frustrations in
a conversation with his friend, Benjy Gaither,
an actor and producer, Gaither turned around
and introduced him to director/producer
Harry Thomason.
“(Gaither), a great musician in his own
right, and son of famed gospel artists Bill and
Gloria Gaither … called me and said ‘let’s do
this!’ ” Thomason added in an interview
Tuesday, May 29.
“It was a tale that had never been told about
the last few days of his life, and (writer)
Howie (Klausner) had really researched it. I
liked the way he approached the script,” the
director said.
Thomason grew up in South Arkansas,
Contributed | The Vidette
On his last journey, Hank Williams’ (Henry Thomas), right, stops to catch up on the streets of Montgomery, Ala., with a street musician (Lawrence Hamilton) in a scene from “The Last Ride,” directed by Harry Thomason. The film makes its Washington debut at
the 7th Street Theatre in Hoquiam at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 2 and 2 p.m. Sunday, June 3.
where the story
was filmed, but
he explained that
it wasn’t until he
arrived in Los
Angeles, that he
began to listen
and study the
music of Hank
Williams, as he
was being asked
about it so much.
“One
thing
Harry Thomason became apparent, that American music would not be the same without
Hank Williams’ contributions,” Thomason
said.
“No doubt about it, the acting in this film
may be one of the greatest exhibitions of
ensemble acting in decades. Everyone in it
hits just the right note,” the director expounded further, when asked what the film does
exceptionally well in his opinion. Writer,
Klausner, echoed the sentiment, stating that
the biggest challenge for the film was that “it
had to be genius all the way around,” and with
the direction of Thomason, the film’s actors
“played it so great.”
The film’s cast includes Henry Thomas
(“E.T.,” “Gangs of New York,” “Legends of
the Fall”), Jesse James (“The Butterfly
Effect,” “The Amityville Horror,” “Blow”),
Fred Thompson (“In the Line of Fire,” “Cape
Fear,” “Law & Order”) and Kaley Cuoco
(“The Big Bang Theory,” “8 Simple Rules,”
“Hop”).
Correction
Justin Vest is from Elma and
Trevor Frye is from Montesano. In last week’s sports story
“Living on the fast track,” the
hometown of the two-featured
racers was transposed.
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Speed bumps
Henry Thomas
“It was a
long, hard road,
but we managed to get it
done,” Thomason said. And
indeed, one of
the bumps in
the road that
the film encountered
was
none other than
the daughter of
Hank himself,
Jett Williams.
When “we were in the middle of the film
(we found out) that the Williams family was
terribly concerned we were doing the film,”
the director said.
“My husband, and lawyer, had authorized
nothing (about “The Last Ride”) and the both
of us were not in a particularly receptive
mood regarding any of it,” Jett Williams said
in a statement forwarded by Thomason. In
response, Thomason, Gaither and his mother
hosted a private showing of the completed
film to the Williams. “We were all on edge,”
she said.
Got it right
While it took Jett Williams’ husband “nine
years in court to right the wrong visited upon
me by strangers … it only took those involved
in this movie 90 minutes to capture the
essence of a genius of a man who, until
recently, had become one dimensional due to
‘The Last Ride’
What: Washington State movie premier
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 2,
and at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 3.
Where: 7th Street Theatre, 313 Seventh St., Hoquiam
Tickets: $7 per person, available at
the theater,
For more information: visit
www.7thstreettheatre.com or call (360)
537-7400. The official movie website is
www.thelastridefilm.com.
the myths, the lies and the vultures who surrounded him,” Jett Williams said in the statement.
Klausner, surprised by the initial reaction
of Jett Williams, said that after the private
showing of the film to the Williams, she
“turned around crying, and said (to Klausner)
‘you are the first one … you got my dad
right.’ ”
Not only did Jett Williams embrace the
film, several of her performances are featured
on the film’s soundtrack, which includes the
late Johnny Cash, as well as numerous country and gospel artists (including Gaither).
Hank Williams has been quoted as being an
inspiration to many artists, including Bob
Dylan and Ray Charles. “Hank has saved
many careers, including mine,” Charles was
quoted.